Endangered Cache La Poudre : Colorado Music, Arts, and Outdoors : Cairn

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The Cache La Poudre Powder Keg

Written by Jackie Williams

According to legend, French fur trappers in the 1820s were caught in a tremendous snowstorm. To lighten their load, they buried large amounts of gunpowder (poudre) in a hiding place (cache) along the banks of a river.

This is just one of the many stories about how one of the most scenic rivers in Colorado came to be known as the Cache La Poudre. (Pronounced: Cash-lah-Pooder.)

The Cache La Poudre River, aka the Poudre, is Colorado’s first “National Wild and Scenic River.” Thirty miles are classified “wild” and 45 miles are classified “recreational.”

The designation means no new dams or diversions will be built within these designated corridors. Future water development can, however, be considered along any portion of the Poudre not designated under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. Outside the boundary, the Cache La Poudre is intensively managed for importing, storing and conveying water. It provides domestic and agricultural water for a large area of northern Colorado as well.

However, proposals to dam the Poudre have emotions and opinions running hot among locals.

An article in the Los Angeles Times, contributed by Nicolas Riccardi, states that “between the mouth of Cache La Poudre Canyon and its junction with the South Platte River, 60 miles east, lie 24 diversion structures, typically dam and canal combinations. This network sends the river water to its historical owners, mainly farmers on Colorado's eastern plains. The new project would supply water to the river's other users—a ring of fast-growing communities that hug the northern edge of Denver's sprawl. It would take about 40,000 acre-feet from the river annually. An acre-foot is the common measure of water, consisting of an acre of water a foot deep.

The Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District, which is spearheading the dam project in partnership with 15 cities and communities that want the water, says the reservoir and dam are the most environmentally and economically sensitive ways to deal with the ever-growing water needs. But critics, mainly environmentalists arguing that Fort Collins deserves as much river water as possible because it is closest to the source, contend the project could spell the end for the Poudre.”

When the Army Corps released its Environmental Impact Statement in late April, it said the reservoir northwest of Fort Collins would dry up the Poudre through the city by as much as 71 percent.

Opponents point to that number and other environmental impacts as reasons not to build the dam. But proponents argue it is needed to shore up water supplies for future population growth and continual agricultural use. The document supporting Northern Water’s proposal amount to more than 4,000 pages if you want to do some major reading. The City staff also believes that the project would degrade Ft. Collins’ drinking water supply because it would contain more organic carbon, which would affect both the quality of drinking water and the clean water needed by local breweries, computer chip manufacturers and many other businesses reliant on the Poudre.

To read more about what’s going on with the Cache La Poudre, check out www.ncwcd.org and www.savethepoudre.org for up to date information.

Read about rafting on the Poudre here .

Photos Courtesy of David Dennis

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